1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a floral holding device. More specifically, the present invention relates to a device used to fixedly secure a stem or branch of any plant in any desirable orientation.
2. Background of the Invention
For many years, flowers, plants and the like (hereinafter referred to as "flora") were primarily displayed in a vase which has a limited number of display orientations. For example, the stems or branches of the flora were permitted to protrude at slight angles from a center axis of the vase. However, these flora were unable to be arranged to hang upside down or against a wall or window.
In efforts to overcome these arrangement limitations, a first multiple orientation flower stand was configured to be affixed to walls, windows or even ceilings, to allow flora arrangements projecting in a conventional upward manner as well as downwards and sideways as disclosed and claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,195,270 entitled "Floral Stand" to Kevin X. Domurat, the named inventor and Applicant of the present Application. The first stand utilized an outer shell and an inner core to hold the flora as well as provide such flora with nutrient fluid. Such nutrient fluid was retained in two layers of porous material disposed on both sides of a stem or branch of the flora inserted into the first stand. A spring clip was incorporated within the first stand to hold these flora stems or branches in place, particularly when the flora are oriented in an upside-down manner. However, one problem associated with first stand is that these two layers of porous material had a tendency of quickly evaporating, thereby generally failing to provide a requisite amount of nutrient fluid unless constantly monitored. In addition, it was difficult to replenish such layers of porous material with fluid.
Thus, an improved version of the first stand was invented which is disclosed and claimed in above-identified pending U.S. patent application (Ser. No. 08/011,806). In that application, a multiple orientation flower stand (referred to hereinafter as the "second stand") comprises a shell covering an inner portion including a plurality of hermetically sealed (i.e., air-tight) compartments, each of these compartments including a hole precut into an outer wall of the compartment to accommodate a grommet. The shell includes a plurality of cut holes aligned with the grommets of the inner portion and of sufficient diameter to allow a stem of a flower or branch to be inserted therethrough. As a result, it is still extremely difficult to replenish nutrient fluids (e.g., water) and other nutrients in the compartments of the inner portion, requiring an eye dropper or narrow tube to be inserted through the cut holes of the shell and the grommets. In addition, that second stand is incapable of allowing the grommets to be replaced if any of them becomes defective.
In addition, although each of the above-indicated stands could support flora and items which did not require nutrient fluids (i.e., "dried flora"), such as, for example, dried flowers, plastic flowers and the like, it is contemplated that an improved version of the stand for dried flora is preferable.